Hainan Duty-Free sector thrives during travel season

South China's Hainan province is experiencing a surge in tourism consumption as it enters its travel peak season. Major duty-free operators on the tropical island have launched a range of consumer promotion activities to complement government-issued vouchers and inject fresh energy into the duty-free consumption market.

Since kicking off their promotional campaign on Nov 21, China Duty Free Group's Hainan region has witnessed a significant uptick in sales compared to the same period last year. During the year-end climax of the annual shopping gala from Dec 27 to Dec 31, 2024, the Hainan branch of China Duty Free Group raked in sales of 1.14 billion yuan ($156.2 million), representing a nearly 15 percentage point increase year-on-year, with over 80,000 individual transactions tallied.

Capitalizing on the New Year's Eve concerts and celebrations in Haikou and Sanya, the group's stores enticed visitors with attractively priced duty-free products. On Dec 31, the stores extended their operating hours until 2 am the following day, featuring live performances, grand prize draws and a host of other activities designed to craft an unforgettable New Year's Eve experience for consumers from around the world.